Admire the Man
by Calm77
Summary: Sephiroth. He earned the title Great. A collection of Sephiroth drabbles. Chpt 2: What is life but madness? Dark.
1. Chapter 1

_Admire the Man_

_Disclaimer: Ah do nah own. _

_A/N: Merry Christmas. Here's my gift. I like Sephiroth even if he is a son of a bitch._

Glorioso General before twenty-five. Strongest warrior in ShinRa. Best of SOLDIER. Demon of Wutai. Nightmare. Destroyer. Calamity. Jenova's son. _Great._

_Sephiroth._

It's hard to not admire the man. Cloud at least thinks it's impossible. Cid kind of agrees with the kid - even if they're _all_ slightly perterbed by the thought - and he'd bet his firstborn Vincent, Reeve, and Nanaki do too. Barret and Tifa he'd only bet a beer on. Yuffie wouldn't admit it if her life depended on it, and Aeris can't exactly be asked anymore. Rufus and the Turks still look at him with no small amount of awe.

He _deserves_ awe for what he's done, no matter the destructiveness of it. Even if he's hellbent on destroying everything worthwhile he's an amazing figure. Larger than life.

Look at his history, what the man has lived through. Whatever he set his mind to the General seemed to accomplish with flying colors. He manages to continually surpass everyone's expectations, however high or low those might be.

What so many ShinRa soldiers died trying to accomplish in Wutai Sephiroth did nearly single-handedly. When some spent years trying to climb the ranks, learn the techniques, discover the winning stradegies he did it almost overnight. What AVALANCHE spent years trying to accomplish he did in a few weeks. A decision to commit himself was all it took for Wutai and ShinRa to fall by his hand.

Those are not easy feats. Wutai was a country of warrior tradition, of the _art_ of combat. Proud, stubborn, harsh Wutai did not fall without a fight. ShinRa might've been corrupt and cruel but it too was nothing if not tenacious. Ruler of most of the world _despite_ it's bloated buerocracy and amazing incompetence, ShinRa clung to life and power with the grip of a boa constrictor. Both ultimately destroyed by _one_ man. Only one man was fit to do it.

Only he could pull off the long hair and bondage gear uniform without becoming a comedy skit. Only he can wield the ridiculously oversized Masamune effectively _and _make it look effortless.

He brought the Planet to it's knees. Almost farther.

All he needed was his own will and his weapon. His _choice _and Masamune the deadliest things in his arsenal.

Who else has even come close to what Sephiroth accomplished? No one. Ask any member of AVALANCHE, ask Rufus or even Reno. They'll say Sephiroth has zeal and drive. He has strength and cunning. He's amazing in battle. A tough opponent.

Not even death could hold him forever, he's come back from even that. Twice.

It's impossible to not admire the man, to look on his accomplishments in awe. This was a man who _did_. Survived. Planned down to the letter. Efficent and effective. He holds priceless skills the members of AVALANCHE trained hard to learn.

If Zack were asked he'd say any guy who survived a childhood in the labs under Hojo was harder to kill and more enterprising than a cockroach and Seph couldn't do anything in moderation.

But it's also impossible to _like_ what he had become.

Arrogant, self-righteous, and hypocritical he is, prattling on about how 'Humans stole the Planet and killed the Cetra' the turns around to do the same in retaliation. A man who delights in petty cruelty, continually pulling his 'Puppet's' strings, but never pushing too far where the toy would break. Looking down on every being but himself in a truly childish manner.

Forgetting those loyal to _him_, striking even his friend Zack and his men who would've followed him against ShinRa if he led them. Too selfish to think outside his own hurts and wants, to take others into consideration even when it costs himself _nothing._

It would be so easy to blame Jenova for all his failings, to push the faults on to something else and ignore how the shining figure of Sephiroth is flawed. In his weaker moments Cloud would like to believe it. Zack - he knows better but he still wishes - sometimes desperately clings to the thought. But if they're honest they know their General's will. If he fell, he _chose _to fall.

Zack has tried to blame the labs for it, blame Hojo. He's been there, he knows it hurts. The labs steal a man's life and dreams. Sephiroth has merely become the incarnation of Hojo's laboratory, stealing them from whoever he can reach.

Those who knew him will wonder sometimes, what could he have done if he'd put his will elsewhere? It's _that_ thought which stings the worst. If he'd put all that energy and all that drive and intellegence to constructive use, perhaps starvation and poverty would be nonexistant. Perhaps all the injustices of ShinRa could've been set right.

Perhaps the Army could've had less paperwork. Or Scarlet be convinced red wasn't her color.

If he could bring the Planet to it's knees, come back from the dead_ twice_, what could he not do?

A great man. Even AVALANCHE, his most stalwart foe, agrees. Sephiroth _was_ great, had earned the title completely. He did what no one before him had ever done. And they hope no one after ever tries to duplicate the son of a bitch.


	2. Chapter 2

_What is Life but Madness?_

Disclaimer: Oh go read chapter 1.

A/N: The 'he' if you can't guess is Sephiroth. He's really an amazing character. Calm is fond of him.

Madness can bring strength. The mad are the most terrifying of opponents, for the frailest old woman can carry strength beyond what her frame should from it, or the deranged man can handle wounds any sane being would crumble under.

He's seen it happen.

But he's also seen the way it can bring trembling and uselessness. The way it can reduce a strong man to a gibbeling mass of flesh. A pathetic wreck.

Ever has madness dogged at his heels, been his constant companion. From Hojo and his lab to Wutai and its killing fields_(Many were the broken men he saw there. In Wutai he learned how to break a man)._ He's seen many forms of madness. Hojo's deranged mediocrity and Wutai's suicidal fanaticism. Even the sedate life of ShinRa is full of executives who leap from the windows and secretaries who hang themselves from the fixtures.

Many years ago he discovered that truth and he's sure ShinRa will drive him mad somehow.

All that's left is to decide how he goes. He refuses to go quietly into the dark a trembling mass of humanity (_he's not human, what would he be? He cares not, he'd rather not be human from what he's seen of the race). _Far too proud to end his own life quietly. When he goes to his prepared place in the darkness he will go in such a manner that if men survive the tales of his deeds will never be forgotten. He's promised himself this.

Since before he was born the only one who truly looked out for his welfare was himself. The reports in the mansion basement tell him this. Concieved and born to be solely a weapon, his welfare was merely a side note. Hojo would've created another had he failed. In the end he has always gone alone. Not even his soldiers looked after him for his own sake, but for his leadership. Strength such as his would get them out alive.

Strength is how this world works to him. ShinRa is allowed amazing liberties because of it's power, he's survived all his life because of strength alone. The weak are only too happy to bow to the strong in hopes of consideration. Of benefit.

He won't bow to any. Not even for power. If he goes it will be willingly.

'Mother.' The word means nothing to him, it's simply another form of address, a title. He's never had one before and it won't change now. This 'Mother' can bring him strength though, she has an agenda of her own but he's tested her and his will won out.

Just destroy the world and you'll be God. Her demands are simple. Maybe he'll humor her. His 'Mother.' Some would call it madness. It is. He _knows_ it is, but what does it matter? ShinRa, this world, _humanity_ will drive him mad anyway. Drive him to be one of the many who leap from the Tower. What is life but madness?

What has he to lose? None have watched out for him without ulterior motives. A thing, an object is what he is to them. Something to use, lust after, destroy with.

In the end everyone walks alone. What does he owe this world? For strength he'll sacrifice them as they would him.

He'll go to 'Mother.' And not even she will cage him. His madness runs deeper than that.

Madness itself will be bent to his will, become his strength, and to it all shall bow.

Those who won't bow he'll break. Completely.

_End_

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